Carmel, Indiana
|population_footnotes = |population_total = 79191 |population_density_km2 = 644.3 |population_density_sq_mi = 1668.6 |timezone = EST |utc_offset = -5 |timezone_DST = EDT |utc_offset_DST = -4 |elevation_m = 260 |elevation_ft = 853 |coordinates_display = inline,title |coordinates_type = region:US_type:city |latd = 39 |latm = 58 |latNS = N |longd = 86 |longm = 6 |longEW = W |website = http://www.carmel.in.gov/ |postal_code_type = ZIP codes |postal_code = 46032, 46033, 46082, 46280 |area_code = 317 |blank_name = FIPS code |blank_info = 18-10342 |blank1_name = GNIS feature ID |blank1_info = 0432143 |footnotes = | }} Carmel is a city in Hamilton County, Indiana, United States located immediately north of Indianapolis, Indiana. The population was 79,191 at the 2010 census,http://www.carmelchamber.com/external/WCPages/WCNews/NewsArticleDisplay.aspx?ArticleID=365 and it is consistently ranked, alongside Zionsville and Fishers, as one of the most affluent suburbs in the Indianapolis area.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_locations_by_per_capita_income In 2012, Carmel was selected as the Best Place to Live in America by CNN Money Magazine. Until 1874, the settlement where present day Carmel now sits was called Bethlehem. Today, the plot first established in Bethlehem, located at the intersection of Rangeline Road and Main Street, is marked by a clock tower, donated by the local Rotary Club in 2002. In 1924, one of the first automatic traffic signals in the United States was installed at the intersection of Main Street and Range Line Road. The signal that was installed was the invention of Leslie Haines and is currently in the old train station on the Monon. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. Major East-West streets in Carmel generally end in a 6, and include 96th Street (the Southern border), 106th, 116th, 126th, 131st, 136th and 146th (the Northern Border). The numbering system is aligned to that of Marion and Hamilton counties. Main Street (131st) runs East-West through Carmel's Art & Design District; Carmel Drive runs East-West through a main shopping area; and City Center Drive runs East-West near Carmel's new City Center project. North-South streets are not numbered, and include (West to East) Michigan, Shelborne, Towne, Ditch, Spring Mill, Meridian, Guilford, Range Line, Keystone, Carey, Gray, Hazel Dell, and River. Some of these roads are continuations of corresponding streets within Indianapolis. Towne Road replaces the name Township Line Road at 96th Street, while Westfield Boulevard becomes Range Line north of 116th Street. Meridian Street (US 31) and Keystone Parkway (formerly SR 431) are the major thoroughfares, extending from (within Carmel) I–465 in the south and merging just south of 146th Street. File:Carmel-indiana-downtown.jpg|This photo displays the city's burgeoning Arts & Design District. File:Carmel-indiana-water-tower.jpg|Carmel's largest water tower, located near the Westfield border on 146th street Demographics According to a 2010 estimate, the median household income in the city was $120,988.3 Males had a median income of $93,340 versus $62,943 for females. The per capita income for the city was $85,320. About 1.6% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over. The average listing price of a house in 2012 was $304,340. 2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 79,191 people, 28,997 households, and 21,855 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 30,738 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 85.4% White, 3.0% African American, 0.2% Native American, 8.9% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.5% of the population. There were 28,997 households of which 41.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.6% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 24.6% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.18. The median age in the city was 39.2 years. 29.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.2% were from 25 to 44; 29.7% were from 45 to 64; and 10.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.7% male and 51.3% female. Rapid growth Carmel is one of the fastest growing cities in Indiana located in one of the fastest growing counties in the nation. Hamilton County, Indiana. Government The government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor Current mayor is Jim Brainard http://www.ci.carmel.in.us/government/mayor.html The city council consists of seven members. Five are elected from individual districts. Two are elected at-large. Roundabouts Carmel has become the unofficial roundabout capital of the United States, due to the installation of over eighty roundabouts and demolishing 78 sets of traffic signals. Mayor James Brainard has said, "We have more than any other city in the US. It's a trend now in the United States. There are more and more roundabouts being built every day because of the expense saved and more importantly the safety." Many of the roundabouts are also well landscaped, thus improving the image of the highway network. More importantly, however, the decor and landscaping within the roundabouts are essential to making the roundabouts safe. By obstructing the view across the roundabout, the driver is then encouraged to look at oncoming traffic to safely determine when to enter the roundabout. Without the obstruction, drivers can be easily distracted by looking across the roundabout at their desired exit instead of at oncoming traffic. Carmel has been described as the Milton Keynes of the USA. The city reports the addition of roundabouts has reduced the number of accidents by 40% and the number of accidents with injuries by 80%. Schools Public The school system has 11 elementary schools, three middle schools and one high school. Student enrollment for the district is above 14,500.Carmel Clay Schools The Elementary Schools are: Carmel Elementary, Cherry Tree Elementary, College Wood Elementary, Forest Dale Elementary, Mohawk Trails Elementary, Orchard Park Elementary, Prairie Trace Elementary, Smoky Row Elementary, Towne Meadow Elementary, West Clay Elementary and Woodbrook Elementary. The 3 Middle Schools are: Carmel Middle School, Clay Middle School and Creekside Middle School Carmel High School is the high school that the three middle schools feed into.Carmel High School official Website Independent Carmel also has several private schools including Pilgrim Lutheran Preschool (12 mo. - 6 years), St. Elizabeth Seton Preschool (2 year olds-K), Midwest Academy (4-12), Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic School (K-8), Walnut Grove Christian School (K-8) and University High School. Additional private schools are located near Carmel in other communities. Industry The Meridian Corridor is serves as a large concentration of corporate office space within the City. It is home to more than 40 corporate headquarters and many more regional offices. Several large companies reside in Carmel, and it serves as the national headquarters for CNO Financial Group (formerly Conseco), MISO, Delta Faucet, Pearson Education (formerly MacMillan Publishing), as well as the headquarters of ITT Technical Institute."FAQ." ITT Technical Institute. Retrieved on November 23, 2011. "Our principal executive offices are located at: ITT Educational Services, Inc. 13000 North Meridian Street Carmel, Indiana 46032 " It is also home to many mid-sized and smaller companies like Seven Corners Inc, and The Rough Notes Company. Awards The city of Carmel has been recognized with numerous awards and ratings for its programs and services. *Carmel voted #1 best place to live by CNN Money Magazine 2012 * Carmel voted #14 best place to live by CNN Money Magazine 2010 * City’s annual Arbor Day program won International Society of Arborculture’s highest award – the Gold Leaf Award. * The Keystone Parkway project received an Engineering Excellence Award from the American Council of Engineering Excellence. * The U.S. Conference of Mayors awarded the “Climate Protection Award” to Carmel for its roundabout program and other environmental initiatives. * The League of American Bicyclists designated Carmel a Bicycle Friendly Community at the bronze level — an award presented to communities with remarkable commitments to bicycling. * The 2006 City Livability Award for Roundabouts. This award recognizes mayors for implementing programs to improve the quality of life in their districts. Carmel mayor Jim Brainard earned this award for his efforts to improve traffic flow to meet the area's growing population. He replaced stop-signs across Carmel with roundabouts, which are both safer and more efficient.http://www.ci.carmel.in.us/government/newsrelease/07-14-06c.htm Attractions Carmel Farmers Market Founded in 1998, the Carmel Farmers Market is one of the largest in the State of Indiana with over sixty vendors of Indiana-grown and/or produced edible products. The Market, which is managed by an all-volunteer committee, is held each Saturday morning from mid-May through the first weekend of October. Held on Center Green at the Palladium, the Market had over 60,000 visitors in 2012. Carmel Monon Community Center A $24.5 million water park and mega-fitness center is the center piece of Carmel's $55 million Central Park which opened in 2007 . The Outdoor Water Park consists of two water slides, a drop slide, a diving board, a lazy river, a kiddie pool, a large zero depth activity pool, Flowrider and a lap pool. The state-of-the-art fitness center consists of an indoor lap pool, a recreation pool with its own set of water slides and a snack bar, gymnasium, 1/8 mile indoor running track, and the Kids Zone childcare. The Center also has an adjoining building connected by an elevated walkway over the Monon Trail, where the Carmel Clay Parks Department offices are located. In addition to a banquet center and activity rooms that can be rented out. Flowing Well Just north of 116th St., between Gray Road and Hazel Dell Parkway, you will find Flowing Well Park, which contains a natural artesian well that provides very high quality drinking water. Monon Trail The Monon Trail is a bicycle trail that is part of the Rails-to-Trails movement. It runs from 10th near downtown Indianapolis through Broad Ripple and then crosses into Carmel at 96th Street and continues north through 146th Street into Westfield. In the future, it is planned to run all the way to Sheridan. In January 2006 speed limit signs of 15 to 20 mph have been added to sections of the trail north of 96th Street which is the county line with Marion County (Indianapolis.) Carmel Arts & Design District Designed to promote small businesses and local artisans, Carmel's burgeoning Arts and Design District and City Center have become one of central Indiana's most luring attractions for residents and visitors. Centered at the intersection of Main Street and Range Line Road in Old Town Carmel and flanked by Carmel High School on the east and the Monon Greenway on the west, the Carmel Arts and Design District includes the award winning Carmel Clay Public Library,Hennen''s American Public Library Rating Top 100 the Hamilton County Convention & Vistitor's Bureau and Welcome Center and a prodigious collection of art galleries, boutiques, interior designers, cafes and restaurants. Lifelike sculptures by John Seward Johnson II, "The Normal Rockwell of American Sculpture", ornament the streets of the District. The District hosts several annual events and festivals. Celebrating decades of automobile engineering and craftsmanship, the Carmel Artomobilia Collector Car Show showcases an vast array of classic, vintage, exotic and rare cars and art inspired by automobile design. Every September, the Carmel International Arts Festival features a juried art exhibit of artists from around the world, concerts, dance performances, and hands-on activities for children. Carmel City Center Carmel City Center is a one million square foot, $300 million, mixed-use development located in the heart of Carmel, Indiana.www.carmelacitycenter.com Carmel City Center is the location for The Center for the Performing Arts, which includes a 1,600 seat concert hall named “The Palladium” and a 500-seat theater named “The Tarkington” and a 200-seat black box theater. This pedestrian-based master plan development is located at the southwest corner of City Center Drive (126th Street) and Range Line Road. The Monon Greenway runs directly through the project. Carmel City Center was developed as a public/private partnership between the City of Carmel, Pedcor City Center Development Company and numerous developers. Early City Center projects include NTS Carmel Center Apartments (formerly AMLI Apartments), the Townhomes at City Center (developed by Ryland), Shapiro’s Delicatessen, the Carmel Clay Veterans Memorial, Pedcor Corporate Headquarters, Flagstar Bank, Hoosier Realty Building and Salon 01 (formerly Carmel Schwinn). Shopping Village Park Plaza and Clay Terrace are the two largest retail centers in Carmel. Other shopping areas include: Carmel City Center, Mohawk Trails Plaza, Merchants' Square and much more. Downtown, also known as Old Town Carmel is rich in shopping along Main Street, Rangeline Road, 3rd Avenue, and 2nd Street. Japanese Garden The community can reflect and enjoy the landscaping in this restful setting, easily accessible from the Monon Trail. Ground was broken for the Japanese Garden south of City Hall in 2007. The garden was dedicated in 2009 as the 15th anniversary of Carmel's Sister City relationship with Kawachinagano, Japan was celebrated. An Azumaya style tea gazebo was constructed in 2011 and dedicated on May 2. Sister Cities * Kawachinagano, Japan Notable residents *Steve Chassey, Indy car driver *Josh McRoberts, professional basketball player for the Charlotte Bobcats *Pete Dye, golf course designer *Lee Schmidt, golf course designer *Haste The Day, Metalcore Band See also * Carmel High School * The Palladium at the Center for Performing Arts *University High School (Carmel, Indiana) References External links * City of Carmel, Indiana website * Carmel High School official Website Category:Carmel, Indiana Category:Cities in Indiana Category:Cities in Hamilton County, Indiana Category:Indianapolis metropolitan area